So, I need help with creating a monster. I've written all the fluff for it and background information. But I need help setting up a stat block and special abilities. This needs to be 3.5 ed. If anyone likes the idea and wants to use it for any other edition feel free to create a stat block. Here's the fluff and basic info. (you'll see references to fictional places and historical accounts that come out of a world I created, feel free to change the names and places, in fact, I implore you to do so if you use it for your own stuff) Below the fluff, you'll find a rough idea of where I'm going with the stat block.

Widgen

These creatures are generally only found in Boolayk swamp. In fact, it is said the swamp and these creatures appearance were simultaneous. Historical documents indicate that Boolayk was once a wide open plains. Bright, beautiful, and filled with color. A single lake at it’s center.

That all ended after two ancient kingdoms decided to go to war. Reasons for the war are still uncertain. The most notable battle took place at Boolayk. Of the few remaining accounts, the description of the battle was a travesty. Men who didn’t want to fight were forced to march to their deaths. The battle reached a climax when a new magical device was unleashed by a circle of evil clerics. The end results were death, destruction, and gray.

The appearance of these creatures usually frighten at first glance, let alone from a stare. While humanoid in shape, they are certainly anything but. Their skin is like an oozing jelly. A mess of green and gray that leaves a trail of ooze in their wake. The faces, usually distorted by the jelly like substance, are one of anguish. The eyes glow yellow, red, or blue. The mouths have an uncanny ability to extend past normal human levels. The most extreme accounts have them swallowing people whole. The height of widgens usually range from 6-8 feet, but higher and lower heights have been reported.

Widgens give out long cries of agony when disturbed. Otherwise they are silent with exception to the occasional grunt or moan. The howl of agony can sometimes draw other widgen closer, while some are so unnerving that they instead push all things away, living or not.

The hands of the creatures are long, thin, and sharp. Battle reports from clerics and paladins tend to indicate that if they manage to wound you with their claws, the ooze dripping off the tips can poison, disease, or otherwise make you ill. The kind of sickness varies wildly, but those are the most common. If not poisoned or diseased with some known infliction, seek a cleric immediately. The illness received is known as Gray Death. Your body will slowly decay from the extremities and work it’s way towards your heart. If this point is reached, the inflicted become zombies, and there is no cure except death.

Other dangers presented by the widgen include a toxic breath, the ability to form a solid mass with their ooze/jelly and use it to attack, and their innate agility. Also, one must obviously account for their ability to fight as a human does.

To defeat a widgen, the general consensus is to deal enough damage directly to the head. The trauma is said to completely immobilize the creature and destroy it. Death of a widgen is confirmed by it’s eyes. When they stop glowing, it is no more. If the head is not an option, continue to pummel the creature until the eyes no longer glow, but it is commonly warned that the body can take an extreme amount of punishment compared to the head. It is also noted in several documents that these creatures have no recognizable internal organs, and those organs which they do have, seem to serve no purpose to the life of the widgen.

Worries of encountering widgens in Boolayk swamps have fallen dramatically after a purge by clerics and paladins, in which they declared all widgen eradicated. Rumors persist that they are still there though.

Rumors:

The eyes are said to glow red for anger, blue for sorrow, and yellow for despair. Each one supposedly indicate a different level of strength. Though others say they are just a reflection of the lost soul within. While others will say they show a preference for what kind of battle tactics the widgen prefers. Red widgens are said to come at you full force with jelly weapons, biting, and trying to grab. Blue widgens are said to use their agility and claws to infect you with gray death. Yellow widgens are said to favor their toxic breath and will use tricky tactics to get close to strike with claws or other weapons. But, none of this can be confirmed as true because all widgens have been seen employing various tactics.

Widgens are supposedly the lost souls of those who died in great travesties. So their like may not be confined to the Boolayk swamps.

The lost souls are brought up from the underworld by demons and transformed and disfigured. Being left alone to roam whatever cursed place the demon chose to infect travelers and create an army of zombies for the demon.

Widgens are the combination of several distraught souls during death. Together they roam the place of their death seeking peace or eternal damnation. Sometimes, the faces of other humans can be seen swirling around in the ooze found on the chest of the widgen. Sometimes even trying to protrude out as if to escape.

Jelly Weapon - morphs hand/arm to extend in attack, gains +10 ft. to claw attack reach but no poison effectsImproved GrabRepelling Screech - DC 18 will save negates fear effect. fear induced in all creatures, even those that would be immune. Also includes DC 15 fortitude save, failure means knocking player prone. Fort save only counts if not struck with fear.

Gray Death - Infects PC, kills them dead in 3d4+1 rounds or in 3 hours after combat (adrenaline increases speed of disease), after that, turns them into zombie in 1d4+1 round or 1 hour after death outside of combat.

I'm aiming for a challenge rating between 6 and 8. I've also considered making called shots to the creature's head improve the critical threat range against it giving the players a bigger chance to kill it faster.

Thoughts, opinions, ideas?

My username should actually read: Lunar Savage (damn you WotC!)
*Tips top hat, adjusts monocle, and walks away with cane* and yes, that IS Mr. Peanut laying unconscious on the curb.
http://asylumjournals.tumblr.com/

It's been several years since I touched any 3.5 materials so I can't help you there, but I would say that there seems to be a bit of dissonance between the name and the gruesome description of the monster that I'm not sure is intentional (I am pronouncing it like "widget").

It's been several years since I touched any 3.5 materials so I can't help you there, but I would say that there seems to be a bit of dissonance between the name and the gruesome description of the monster that I'm not sure is intentional (I am pronouncing it like "widget").

It's kind of intended. "Widget" in pronunciation is correct until you reach the final letter, just replace the "t" with an "n" and there ya go.

Edit: I also forgot to add in the effect that can summon more widgen with the screech.

My username should actually read: Lunar Savage (damn you WotC!)
*Tips top hat, adjusts monocle, and walks away with cane* and yes, that IS Mr. Peanut laying unconscious on the curb.
http://asylumjournals.tumblr.com/

I've also considered making called shots to the creature's head improve the critical threat range against it giving the players a bigger chance to kill it faster.

Personally, I'd just lower the hit dice and up it's initiative/give it a (Sp) that allows it to attack more often. This would give it the same danger as a longer lasting monster but cut its screen time shorter as needed.

But if your players like making headshot attempts, I say go for it

Any divine characters or necromancers among your players? If so, might wanna give thought to some special turn/rebuke rules or other raise/summon monster details. Otherwise, not too bad looking. Seems like it could do just fine.

I've also considered making called shots to the creature's head improve the critical threat range against it giving the players a bigger chance to kill it faster.

Personally, I'd just lower the hit dice and up it's initiative/give it a (Sp) that allows it to attack more often. This would give it the same danger as a longer lasting monster but cut its screen time shorter as needed.

But if your players like making headshot attempts, I say go for it

Any divine characters or necromancers among your players? If so, might wanna give thought to some special turn/rebuke rules or other raise/summon monster details. Otherwise, not too bad looking. Seems like it could do just fine.

Happy Gaming

I forgot to list initiative. I should also come up with a set of ability scores for it, now that I think about it.

Hm, allowing it to attack more often might be good for the red variant, initiative boost for blue, and I still need to come up with the toxic breath ability for the yellow variant.

The main reason I was going to go with easier crits on the head was to match the lore for it. But, what you said makes a lot of sense. I'll think about it.

Sadly, no divine characters or necromancers. Ultimately, what I really need to do is find a way to playtest the creature without using my players. That would help give me the biggest sense on things that need tweaking.

My username should actually read: Lunar Savage (damn you WotC!)
*Tips top hat, adjusts monocle, and walks away with cane* and yes, that IS Mr. Peanut laying unconscious on the curb.
http://asylumjournals.tumblr.com/

At 65 HP being the average...and I'd say a constitution of 12 to be about right. So, if we give it 12d8 hit dice, that'd average out to about 66 HP after constitution bonus.

Well if it has the undead subtype, its hit die would be a d12. It also probably wouldn't have a con bonus to worry about either. At 65, it would probably have 10-11 hit dice. Lower it's base hit dice to 8 it would have 48 hp on average, which kinda helps with the whole "easier to kill" problem.

Either fits fine for the attack. I'm a bit partial to lines myself, just cause counting a cone's AoE was always annoying.

For fear, I was just kind of assuming the standard fear effect. Causes creature under effect to flee the scene as fast as possible or otherwise move in any direction opposite the source of fear.

Yea, but does the creature start off shaken, frightened, etc. A place for the fear effect to begin works best, since fear conditions can worsen in 3.5. I'd say start at shaken if this guy's suppose to be ran in multiples, but if they're meant to be ran as a single, start at frightened.

At 65 HP being the average...and I'd say a constitution of 12 to be about right. So, if we give it 12d8 hit dice, that'd average out to about 66 HP after constitution bonus.

Well if it has the undead subtype, its hit die would be a d12. It also probably wouldn't have a con bonus to worry about either. At 65, it would probably have 10-11 hit dice. Lower it's base hit dice to 8 it would have 48 hp on average, which kinda helps with the whole "easier to kill" problem.

Either fits fine for the attack. I'm a bit partial to lines myself, just cause counting a cone's AoE was always annoying.

For fear, I was just kind of assuming the standard fear effect. Causes creature under effect to flee the scene as fast as possible or otherwise move in any direction opposite the source of fear.

Yea, but does the creature start off shaken, frightened, etc. A place for the fear effect to begin works best, since fear conditions can worsen in 3.5. I'd say start at shaken if this guy's suppose to be ran in multiples, but if they're meant to be ran as a single, start at frightened.

Good point, it's been a looong time since I messed with undead creatures. Constitution goes bye bye.

Hm, it's not necessarily that it's supposed to be easier to kill...though there are many with a range of HP.

Calculating AoEs on breath weapons are a pain in the ass. And as for fear, I think I'll go with shaken then have it worsen from there.

Before I make any final decisions on critical head shots vs. lower HP and line vs. cone, I'm just going to need to do a playtest before I set anything in stone. Though, the immunity to crits from undead subtyping becomes an issue for crits to head. Maybe I could change the subtype to be some other supernatural type related to undead, but not immune to crits. Or throw the rule out altogether and change it for this specific example.

In the meantime, I'll try to find a way to test this creature on a group a few times.

Thanks for the advice. I'll post playtest results when I can.

Feel free to continue posting ideas and comments.

My username should actually read: Lunar Savage (damn you WotC!)
*Tips top hat, adjusts monocle, and walks away with cane* and yes, that IS Mr. Peanut laying unconscious on the curb.
http://asylumjournals.tumblr.com/